Mandi Kaye @ Never Too Fond of Books

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/1578 (4/18/12)Trying to figure out what to rate this book has been frustrating beyond anything I’ve felt all day. The book is good. It really is. I can’t wait to read the next one.But.Yes, there’s a but.There was a very significant plot twist near the end, but it would have been much more effective had I not figured it out far sooner than I was supposed to. I was actually disappointed when I figured it out, because it meant the rest of the book would not be as wonderful as it should have been.On the other hand, this is a middle grade book, so perhaps I am being too harsh.There were, however, other things that bothered me as well. The book is written from Sage’s perspective- yet something the audience should have witnessed from his perspective was hidden until poorly revealed later in the book. I actually had to read that section twice to make sure I wasn’t misunderstanding. And when I did understand, it simply didn’t make sense for the reader to be discovering it at that juncture in the story. I understand why she wrote it that way- but it was very poorly executed and simply didn’t fit into the linear flow of the story.Writing nitpicks aside, it was a wonderful story that captured and kept my attention. Sage’s character is just the right blend of snark and vulnerability. I had no trouble at all siding with him from the very beginning.I will definitely be looking for the second book of the trilogy when it is published.